Gemünden () is a town in Waldeck-Frankenberg district in Hesse, Germany. Geography Location Gemünden lies roughly 22 km northeast of Marburg on the edge of the Burgwald range to the west and near the Kellerwald range rising to the northeast. The river Wohra crosses the town. Neighbouring communities Gemünden borders in the north on the community of Haina (Waldeck-Frankenberg), in the east on the community of Gilserberg (Schwalm-Eder-Kreis), in the south on the community of Wohratal (Marburg-Biedenkopf) and in the west on the town of Rosenthal (Waldeck-Frankenberg). Constituent communities The town consists of the centres of Ellnrode, Gemünden (Wohra), Grüsen, Herbelhausen, Lehnhausen, Schiffelbach and Sehlen. History Gemünden was formed out of seven villages: Holzbach, Giebelingsbach, Burghardshausen, Ernstdorf, Steigershausen, Osterbach and Katzbach The town's first documentary mentions come from the years 750 to 779, under the name Zegemunde. The second documentary mention came in 1223. In 1253, Gemünden is first mentioned as a town. At this time, Gemünden belonged to the Counts of Ziegenhain. This historical fact is even seen in the town's coat of arms, showing a black bird in a white field with red claws, a goat's head (Ziege is German for goat) and a six-pointed star under each wing. In 1450, Gemünden passed to Hesse after the Ziegenhain line had died out. In the 16th century, the town had great wealth. In 1523, a great fountain was built, in 1541, the school was built, in 1564, a town hall was built on the marketplace, and in 1587, the first aqueduct was built using wooden ducts. The war years in the 17th and 18th centuries not only destroyed Gemünden's emerging cultural life, but also exacted heavy sacrifices. The Plague claimed two thirds of the town's population. The Thirty Years' War and the Seven Years' War asked the utmost of the townsfolk in terms of billeting and financial performance. From 1909 to 1914, the railway was built, the aqueduct special purpose association (Wasserleitungszweckverband) was founded (Gemünden got a new, modern water supply) and a new school in Gemünden came into being. In 1972, passenger transport on the railway was discontinued. In the winter of 1980-1981 came the discontinuation of goods services as well, and furthermore, the tracks were torn up. Jewish history and presence Records of a Jewish community in Gemünden date back to 1571. Throughout the centuries, Gemünden had a lively Jewish community numbering about 70 persons until their